Becky Wai-Ling Packard

Associate Professor of Psychology and Education

Education

• B.A., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• Ph.D., Michigan State University

Courses Taught

• Educational Psychology
• Seminar in Educational Psychology: Motivation
• StatisticsAssociate Professor of Psychology and Education
• Laboratory in Developmental Psychology

Interests

I am interested in motivation, identity, and mentoring, including the motivational implications of "possible selves" and how future-oriented images are informed by relationships with mentors and role models. My current research focuses on the transition from high school to post-secondary education or work for students from low-income backgrounds. I am interested in how young people develop and persist in their aspirations, especially in science and technology, find and make use of mentoring relationships, and learn about their futures in community settings. I continue to be interested in the persistence and mentoring of women, ethnic minorities, and first generation college students in nontraditional fields. Community-based partnerships are central to my teaching. Although I tend to work more with adolescents, I have worked with elementary school students and adults using a variety of methodologies. I enjoy thinking about how to self-motivate and how to motivate others.

Recent Publications

 (* indicates Mount Holyoke College student)

Packard, B.W. & Nguyen, D.* (2003). Science career-related possible selves of adolescent girls: A longitudinal study. Journal of Career Development, 29(4), 251-263.

Packard, B.W., Walsh, L.Y.*, & Seidenberg, S. E.* (2004). Will that be one mentor or two? A cross-sectional study of women’s mentoring during college. Mentoring & Tutoring, 12 (1), 71-85.

Packard, B.W., Ellison, K.L.*, & Sequenzia, M.R.* (2004). Show and tell: Photo-interviews with urban adolescent girls. International Journal of Education & the Arts. Read it here.

Packard, B.W. (2004-2005). Mentoring and retention in college science: Reflections on the sophomore year. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, & Practice, 6, 289-300.

Packard, B.W., & Conway, P.F. (2006). Methodological choice and its consequences for possible selves research. Identity, 6(3), 251-271.